The funds would be divided into six categories: Landfill expansion, street/sidewalk improvements, economic development, public facilities and equipment, park improvements, and storm/sanitary sewers. Voters will have to check off each category on the referendum ballot for those project areas to be funded. Each category will need approval of a majority of voters to be included.

City leaders have been soliciting ideas for specific projects to fund if the referendum passes. As of tonight, those requests equaled $189 million.

It will be up to the mayor and council to decide which projects are priorities, Hoyt said. Throughout the meeting, Hoyt repeatedly said Third Avenue West near Crossplex is in dire need of investment as Birmingham officials try to use that facility to bring businesses to the area.

"The main thoroughfare leading to your house takes precedence over the little alley behind your house," Hoyt said.

Susan Palmer, president of the Central Park neighborhood, said she supports the referendum but hoped her community shares in the funding. She cited overgrown lots, lack of sidewalks and abandoned houses among the main problems in her community.

"We need to restore what we have, because we are losing families," Palmer said.

While city officials continue to seek public input, Hoyt said decisions over how the money will be spent will continue to be made after the Oct. 9 vote.

"Nothing is etched into stone. This is not the final list," Hoyt said of several pages listing dozens of submitted projects.

Former Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid was among those who questioned some aspects of the plan. Kincaid, asked by Hoyt to speak, did not say whether he supported the plan.

Kincaid pointed out that $75 million will be spent in the first phase, but the second $75 million will be spent in the second, possibly five years from now.

That, he said, raised questions of whether voters should have an option of voting for each phase and who will be in office five years from now deciding how to spend those funds?

"Who will be sitting in those seats and how responsive will they be?" Kincaid asked.

Kincaid also asked whether the bond funds could be used to fund plans for a new baseball stadium and downtown entertainment district if those projects ran into funding problems.

Councilman Johnathan Austin said all of those projects have dedicated funding sources and are all under budget.

Austin also sought to assure residents that the bond referendum will not increase residents' property taxes.

It will, however, raise the amount of debt owed by Birmingham to $456 million, Hoyt said. The city's maximum debt ceiling is $500 million, Hoyt added.